Automatic lock for railway-switches.



O. NELL.

AUTOMATIC LOCK FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1913.-

1,08'7,046. Patented Feb. 10, 191 1 F11 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

atto'nuu o COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPK co.. WASHINGTON. n. c

0. NELL.

AUTOMATIC LOOK FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1913.

1,087,046. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I" 8 IEIIEIWE- COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO4. WASHINGTON. n. c.

ORVILLE NELL, OF BRIDGEPORT, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC LOOK FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

Application filed. June 2, 1913. Serial No. 771,355.

To a?! 207mmit may concern Be it known that I, ORviLLn NnLL. a citizen of the United States. residing at Bridge port. in the county of Lawrence and State of Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in itutomatic Locks for Railwayfiwitehes; and I do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact. scription of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic locks for railway switches.

One object of the invention is to provide a lock adapted to antomatically engage and lock the point of a switch rail when brought to a closed position.

Another object is to provide a switch lock of this character having means whereby the same is rel-cased by the movement of the switch ope ating mechanism when actuated to open the switch.

lVith these and other objects in view. the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and a rangemcnt of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View of a railway track and, switch showing the application of my improved lock and illustrating the switch in closed po sition; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view thereof taken on the line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3 *3 of Fig. 1; Figs. 4 and 5 are views siiuilar to Figs. 9 and 3 taken respectively on the same lines and illustrating the position of the parts when the lock is released and the switch open; Fig. 6 is a detail vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the main track rails and 2 denotes the side track rails to which my improved lock is applied.

3 and 4 denote the movable switch points which are connected by the usual or any suitable switch shifting bar 5, said bar being here shown as secured to the lower sides of the switch points by suitable clips and as projecting a suitable distance beyond one side of the tracks.

Ar 'anged alongside the tracks is a switch stand 6 in which is arranged any suitable form of switch operating mechanism, said switch operating mechanism being here shown as comprising a vertically disposed shaft 7 which is revolubly mounted in the casing of the stand and projects above the same. 011 the upper end of the shaft is a bracket 8 of any suitable form, while fixed to the shaft within the stand 6 is a disk 9 having thereon a segmental gear 10 with which is engaged a pinion 11 fixed on the inner end of a switch throwing shaft 12 imirnaled in one side of the switch stand and having fixed on its outer end a switch throwing lever 13. The lever 13 when swung in one direction for closing the switch is brought into engagement with a keeper 14 and when swung in the opposite direction for opening the switch is brought into ongagement with a keeper 15. The keepers 1d and 15 may be provided with any suitable locking mechanisn'i whereby the switch throwing lever is locked in position for h0ld ing the switch closed or open.

The parts described in the foregoing may he of the usual or any suitable construction and do not form a part of the present invention which comprises means for positively locking the switch in a closed position and which consists of a locking bar 16 hinged to and supported at its outer end in a bracket 17 secured. to two of the ties adjacent to the outer side of the track rails as shown. In the upper side of the locking bar 16 is formed a locking notch 18 the length of which is sullicient to receive the main track rail and the switch point 3 when the latter closed or brought into engagement with the rail as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. The inner end of the locking bar 16 is loosely engaged with a vertically disposed guide rod 19 the lower end of which is secured in the roadbed of the railway in any suitable manner and the upper end of which is secured in a stop plate 20 arranged across and having its ends secured to two of the ties as shown. Arranged on the guide bar 19 below the end of the locking bar 16 is a coiled spring 21 the pressure of which is applied to yieldingly force and hold the locking bar 16 upwardly and in operative engagement with the rail and switch point 3 whereby when the switch point is brought to a. closed position or in engagement with the rail 1, the bar 16 will be swung upwardly by the spring and the notch 18 therein engaged with the rail and switch tongue.

In order to disengage the notch 18 from the rail and switch point to release the latter. I provide a releasing mechanism comprising a short arm 22 which is secured to the lower side of the free end of the bar 16 and projects laterally therefrom and beneath the switch shifting bar 5. The arm 22 has revolubly mounted on its outer end a sleeve or roller 23. Engaged with the lower side of the switch shifting bar 3 and having a limited sliding engagement thereon is a trip bar 2% which corresponds substantially to the length and width of the bar 5 and is engaged with and supported by the clips which attach the bar to the switch points. The bolts which fasten the bar 5 to said clips also extend through the trip bar 24 which is slotted where the bolts pass therethrough to allow said switch bar to have a limited sliding movement on the bar At its inner end the trip bar 24 has arranged therein a bolt 25 which projects upwardly through a slot 26 in this end of the bar 5 and to the upper and lower ends of said bolt are secured a bail 27. the ends of which engage the outer sides of the bars 5 and Q4 and hold this end of the same in closed ci'igagenient. To the bolt 25 or to the bail 27 is secured the end of the operating rod 2 which connects the bar with the disk i of the switch throwing mechanism in the usual manner. Secured to the lower side of the trip bar 24 adjacent to the roller 23 on the arm 22 of the locking bar is a trip block 29, said block having a beveled or inclined end which when the trip bar and the switch shitting bar are actuated by the switch throwing mechanism, engages the roller 23 on the arm 22 and forces the latter downwardly which operation also swings the free end of the locking bar 16 downwardly, thus disengaging the notch in said bar from the rail 1 and switch tongue 3, whereupon the latter is released, so that a further movement of the bars 5 and 24 by the switch throwing mechanism will open the switch point 3. It will be noted that by providing the switch shifting bar with the slot 26 through which the bolt 27 projects and by providing the trip bar 24 with the slots through which the clip attaching bolts pass that when the switch shifting mechanism is actuated to open the switch, the trip bar 24 is shifted for a short distance independently of the bar 5 or before the latter begins to move. This preliminary independent movement of the trip bar 24 causes the trip block 29 to engage the roller 23 on the arm 22 and to thus depress the locking bar 16 a suflicient distance for disengaging the notch 18 therein from the switch point 3 before the latter is shifted by the bar 5 thus preventing the locking bar from interfering with the free movement of the switch tongue by the switch throwing mechanism.

\Vhen the switch throwing mechanism is actuated in the reverse direction and the switch tongue 2) thereby brought to a closed position the block 29 will be re racted from above the roller or sleeve '23 which will permit the spring 21 to force the locking bar upwardly and thereby engage the locking notch therein with the switch tongue and track rail thereby locking the switch tongue in a closed position, 7

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form proportion, and the miner details oi construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thns described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a switch lock ng device the combination with the main tract: rails and a switch point. of a switch throwing mechanism comprising a point shi 'ng bar connected to said switch point. said bar having near one end a longitudinal slot, a trip bar carried by and having a limited sliding movement on said point shitting bar, tripping means carried by said trip bar, a yield ingly supported l cking bar having therein a notch adapted to engage one of the track rails and the switch point whereby the latter is locked in closed position and means carried by said locking bar and adapted to be engaged by said tripping means whereby the locking bar is disengaged from said track rail and switch point prior to the movement of the latter by said shifting bar.

2. In a switch locking device, the com bination with the main track rails and a switch point, of a switch throwing mechanism comprising a point shifting bar secured to said switch point, the latter having near one end a longitudinal slot, a trip bar carried by and having a limited sliding movement on said point shitting bar, tripping means carried by said trip bar, a yieldingly supported locking bar having therein a notch adapted to engage one of the track rails and the adjacent switch point whereby the latter is locked in closed position and a laterally projecting member carried by said locking bar and adapted to be engaged by said tripping means whereby the locking bar is disengaged from said track rail and switch point prior to the movement of the latter by said shitting bar.

3. In a railway switch lock the combination with the main track rails and switch point of a switch throwing mechanism comprising a point shifting rod secured to the switch points, a locking bar having a notch adapted to engage one of the switch points and the adjacent rail and to thereby lock the switch in a closed position, means to automatically project and hold said locking bar in an operative position, and means carried by said point shifting bar to disengage said locking bar from said switch point and rail when said switch throwing mechanism is actuated.

4. In a switch locking device, the combination with the main track rails and switch points of a railway, of a switch throwing mechanism comprising a point sl'iifting bar secured to said switch points and having near one end a longitudinal slot. a trip bar carried by and having a lim ted sliding movement on said point shitting bar, a trip block carried by said trip bar and having one end beveled, a locking bar pivotally supported at one end and having therein a notch adapted to engage one of the track rails and the adjacent switch point whereby the latter is locked in a closed position, a spring engaged with the free end of said locking bar whereby the latter is projected to and yieldiugly held in an operative position, and means carried by said locking bar and adapted to be engaged by the trip block on said trip bar whereby the locking bar is disengaged from said track rail and switch point prior to the movement of the latter by said shifting bar.

5. In a switch locking device, the com bination with the main track rails and switch points of a railway, of a switch throwing mechanism comprising a point shifting bar secured to said switch points and having near one end a longitudinal slot, a trip bar carried by and having a limited sliding movement on said point shifting bar, a trip block carried by said trip bar and having one end beveled, a locking bar pivotally supported at one end and having therein a notch adapted to engage one of the track rails and the adjacent switch point whereby the latter is locked in a closed position, a spring engaged with the free end of said locking bar whereby the latter is projected to and yieldingly held in an operative position, a roller carried by said locking bar and adapted to be engaged by the trip block of said trip bar when the latter is shifted by said switch throwing mechanism thereby disengaging said locking bar from the rail and switch point prior to the movement of the latter by said switch throwing mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witncsses.

ORVILLE NELL. \Vitnesses JOSIAH NELL, ROBERT L. PATTON.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

